After seeing the video of one of the Kutis slapping a uniform police, I knew it would brew alot of debate and controversy. But I didn’t know we would have significant number working around exonerating a man who clearly lost control of his emotion. Talks like Seun detests police for all they did to his dad and grandmom, he was only trying to protect his family, police deserve to have a taste of their own meds, you can’t trust police and more all belong to the category of fallacy. If the policeman was first to slap Seun, with Seun’s na-we-dey-run-things attitude, the police man would have disappeared with the lagoon.
Not only Seun, every Nigerian who’s lived in Nigeria for atleast 18years has atleast one or two ‘madness’ that’s not helping the country grow in a way or more. Our leaders are terrible, we the citizens also have areas to adjust – to make Nigeria work for everyone in and outside government.
However, I still can’t wrap my head around why Seun who knows just too much would slap an armless police man who was not even seen to be aggressive in the face of sheer humiliation. Instead of praising the policeman for his composure, we are now praising Seun for his oppressive gesture. Tomorrow police would shoot for being humiliated, we would become shocked like they aren’t humans like us. People that would kill unprovoked are now being provoked, what amount of agitation would restore a life dragooned.
To COMRADES in support of Seun’s action, or trying to make excuses on his behalf, I know this is because of the much revered Kuti name. But is this how we intend to build an egalitarian, ideal society we talk so much about. I would only think otherwise if you would make same excuses for Psquare, Dino Melaye, Apostle Sulaimon or MC Oluomo if they were filmed same way assaulting an officer. These are people who would spur our out group bias, we want them nailed for every single crime not because what is wrong is wrong but because they’re not in line. Crime is crime, who commits it doesn’t matter. May be I should ask if the advocacy is about a better Nigeria or for tyranny!
I have heard people justify that because of their personal experience with the police. I doubt if there’s one Nigerian who hasn’t had a bad experience with 9ja police. I’ve been detained before for asking at the point of arrest the reason for my arrest when they came to arrest a neigbour who smokes weed. Even though I didn’t pay bail, I slept cell for no crime. That’s one of many terrible experiences I have had with them. But we still need police as much as their reform is needed.
Seun Kuti is a respected comrade. I still have respect for him. But trust me, he knew he messed up immediately he slapped the police. The Seun we all know would jump on live to report the incident before any blogger if he made sense out of what he did.
Do you even want to tell me that Seun cannot speak to the commissioner of police directly? The police man has a unique badge number that can make him treacable, Seun knew the right thing to do but chose to take laws into his hands because he’s a Kuti.
I don’t know why I feel Seun would have denied slapping the police man if he wasn’t caught on camera but here you are supporting the deepest of nonsense because of emotions.
Nigerian police may be horrible, may be the worst, but police is hated almost everywhere in the world. But no country I know has subscribed to assaulting police men. We all saw how Floyd was killed in the US, terrifying than anyone you point at in Nigeria. Yet nobody resorted to collapsing the institution. Abi make we no kuku get police again?
I know it for a fact that Seun would have been a dead man if he slapped an American police. He won’t live to explain the smoke behind the fire to anyone.
Source: Oluwaseyi Oyetunbi